


As the Crow Flies

by TiredPanAndNotAFan (orphan_account)



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Blood, Body Horror, Death, Deceit Sanders Has a Different Name, Dogboy Morality | Patton Sanders, Gore, Human Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Hunting, Idk where any of this is going, Lamia Deceit Sanders, Logan is an Eagle, Octopus Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Patton is a Golden Retriever, Remus is an Octopus, Virgil is a Crow, Winged Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Winged Logic | Logan Sanders, deceit is a snake, just bare with me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2020-12-16 22:56:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21044177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/TiredPanAndNotAFan
Summary: Prince Roman of the Kingdom of Arminia, at ten years old, goes on a hunting trip in the Shifter's Forest. After mistake and trauma, he finds the greatest truth he has never known, and goes on a quest to avenge his father with his new Shifter best friend, Virgil, his long-lost Shifter brother, Remus, and other friends he makes along the way.ORRoman finds his past in the Shifter's Village, along with new friends, and, eventually, the love of his life.





	1. Legend Has It (The Hunt of the Beast)

**Author's Note:**

> idk my dudes, i had an Idea and here it is  
WARNINGS: blood, death, hunting, morphing, body horror, food mentions

Deep, deep in the forest by the mountains, people tell stories of a tribe of creatures that can make themselves look human, called Shifters. The stories say that they are not monsters, but animals with the gift of transformation. They used to live in harmony with the people of the village at the edge of the forest, but when the Royal Hunt, a group of the Queen's most dangerous warriors, found them, they enacted the slaughter of the tribe. Some got away, but they were never seen or heard from again. The village elders still tell the stories of their childhood friends from the forest, but many years have passed and the kingdom has seen the passing of leadership to the Old Queen's granddaughter, with only her son to sit beside her and her dead husband's casket in the catacombs.

This is the story known to the people of the Kingdom of Arminia. What the do not know will not hurt them, or so the Royal Court thinks.

What they do not know will hurt them.

The new Queen's husband was a Shifter, known only to her. He could turn into an octopus, but chose to feign humanity for the woman he loved. He bore her twin sons; One of which was perfectly human, the other was born with tentacles. When the Queen's mother found out, she banished the Shifter and his son to the forest, saying that if either of them were ever seen again, they would be killed. The Shifter, however, could not stay away from the Queen, they loved each other too deeply. When they were discovered, the Shifter was beaten to death in an alley and left.

The Queen's mother said that he had gotten into a drunken brawl.

The people believed her.

When the old Queen died and left the new Queen on her throne, an agreement was made to never speak of Shifters in the castle. the Prince grew up knowing nothing of his twin brother and never speaking about his father. All he knew of the Shifters was the whispers he heard outside the castle, for when he asked his mother, her eyes filled with tears and she shut herself in her chambers.

So it was a great occasion when 10-year-old Prince Roman discovered he would be taking part in a hunt in the Shifter's Forests, of course. He might find one, he can ask it about things, and it will tell him, because he's the prince! It can show him how they turn into animals, like the peasants say they do, and it can show him how to do it himself, maybe! Okay, maybe not that one.

This is what the Prince thinks as he rides with the hunting party. He knows there was once a group called the Royal Hunt, but his mother, Queen Anathemia, made sure they didn't exist anymore. On this hunt, they would be trying to hunt the greatest buck in the forest, for the Autumn Gold-Leaf Festival in three days. The buck would be cooked in a special, slow way that made Roman's mouth water just thinking about it. They approached the forest through the old village. The citizens glared at them with contempt. Roman didn't understand why.

Roman looked around in wonder at the beautiful forest around them. The leaves fell in brilliant golds and reds, blown in the crisp autumn breeze. He caught one out of the air and stuffed it in his horse's saddle bag. His mother would love it, they would press it between the pages of one of the really big books together, like they did every autumn. Roman was startled out of his thoughts when his horse bumped into the horse in front of them; they had stopped at some point. He reigned his horse as the Head Huntsman pulled out a hollowed ram's horn.

"Good men of the Royal Court! We are gathered to find the greatest buck in the wood for the Festival! He who fells the beast will be crowned the King of Gold Leaves! Prepare your bows, men!" Roman scrambled to pull out his bow, but his uncle grabbed it from him and shoved it into his bag.

"Not you, laddie. You're only here for show," he leered, flashing a toothless grin. Roman hated the drunken fool (that's what his mother called him) with all him might. He pouted and pet his horse, but didn't protest; that had earned him a nasty bruise before.

"Let the hunt begin!" The Head Huntsman blew the ram's horn in one long blast, and the hunt charged into the woods. Roman was right there with them as they charged through the woods. Eventually they found and surrounded the biggest buck Roman had ever seen. It was as tall as two men, and the rack of antlers atop its head were huge. It made strange noises and stamped it's hooves, looking for a way out, but there was none for the great beast.

_**Warning: death, blood, disturbing imagery**_  
Roman watched in fascinated horror as his cousin Thaddeus drew his bow and notched a gleaming iron-tipped arrow. The tight-wound string creaked as he pulled it back. Thaddeus let the arrow fly, it whistled through the air before embedding in the buck's chest with a sick _thud._

The beast screeched and stumbled back, slamming into a tree. thick, silvery-shining blood stained the buck's pelt, matting the fur. It sank to the ground with an uncannily human-like scream. It writhed as it's blood pooled around it, slowing every second, before finally stilling with a strangled cry. The huntsmen cheered and clapped Thaddeus on the back, but then they fell silent. Roman saw them staring at the slain buck, and looked.

He regretted it instantly.

The carcass was mutating, shrinking into itself. The head and neck were inflating outward, the fur disappearing into chestnut skin as arms, human arms, grew out, the head morphing into the head of a man with a long, dark braid of hair and golden freckles, and deep black eyes with a sickly dead sheen. The arrow stuck out at the seam between man and beast, still oozing. 

Roman felt he would throw up. He jumped off his horse, grabbed the saddle-bag, and ran -- nobody seemed to notice -- away from the huntsmen, away from the creature, away from the _blood blood shining silvery blood glinting oozing red red red--_

Roman ran straight into a tree and crumpled to the ground, dissolving into tears. He couldn't see the hunting party no matter where he looked, which only made him cry harder. The sun was sinking, painting the golden leaves with blood red light. Roman shrunk into himself and let his tears flow, rubbing at his eyes and hiccuping loudly. After a while, he calmed down, but was completely and utterly lost. He decided to sleep at the foot of the tree for the night.

\---

The next morning Roman woke up disoriented and sore. He caught sight of a red leaf of the ground. The color made him remember the day before, and he burst into fresh tears. Roman hugged the saddle bag with his perfect golden leaf and imagined he was back home with his mother, camping in the gardens and preparing for the festival, and he felt a little better. He was about to lie down and immerse himself in the fantasy, when he heard voices.

"I know I saw someone last night! No one is ever out at sundown except for Bridgen!" That one seemed bubbly, Roman liked them.

"Bridgen did not come back last night. Amma is looking for him now. I'm sure whoever you saw is back home, safe." That one was all cold. 

"No, it was a little kid! Like, Remus and Virgil's age!"

"It couldn't be. Kits aren't allowed beyond the boundary without supervision."

"C'mon, Logan, you talk like an adult! See, they were right here..."

The dialogue stopped. Slowly, the cold voice spoke up.

"Patton, that's a human. A human kit. In royal clothing."

"I told you I saw someone! Are we gonna bring him back home?" The bubbly one sounded nervous. The cold one didn't speak. Roman sat up and scrubbed at his face, his eyes still too bleary to see what they looked like.

"Who are you? My name is Prince Roman of the Kingdom of Arminia. I'm... lost," he tried, but instead of sounding regal and royal, his voice was rough and shaky. He stiffened as he was suddenly surrounded in a hug.

"Oh, you poor little thing! You've been crying, huh? Why don't we get you somewhere warm?" The bubbly one scooped him up and started walking. "Logan, he's just a kit! We'll tell your Amma when she gets back." The cold one tried to protest, but was quickly shushed. Roman fell asleep in the bubbly one's arms.

\---

"Wake up, little kit, you need to eat! You've been asleep for a while!"

Roman woke up to the bubbly one's voice. He blinked his eyes open and took in the room around him.

It looked kind of like the tents his mother would set up in the garden, but bigger. Light filtered through the canvas-looking material to illuminate the pile of blankets Roman was laying on. There was a table covered in different bottles and bowls. and chairs sitting around it. Roman's eyes lighted on the person in front of him, and he gasped.

"You have dog ears!"

"Yup! and a tail! I'm Patton!" Patton spun around, wagging his tail to demonstrate, before sitting down in front of Roman. He had pale skin covered with freckles, sky-blue eyes, and a mess of golden hair. His ears and his tail were the same golden color. He looked to be fifteen or sixteen. Roman reached out experimentally and patted his head, and he giggled. "Shucks, kiddo, if only Logan did that more often!" A huff from behind Roman indicated another person's existence. They walked out to Patton and folded their arms across their chest.

"My name is Logan, and before you gasp and point out the obvious, I do indeed have wings." Oh, this was the cold one. Sand-colored wings adorned him, matching with sharp yellow eyes. He was about the same age as Patton, but taller. Roman gaped at them, before coming to a conclusion.

"You're both Shifters!"

"Yeah, thought that was obvious. Everyone here is, well, except for you!" Patton pushed open the door flap of the tent to show many other people with various animal attributes milling about. Some of them looked like normal human, though, so Roman asked about that.

"Well," Logan replied, fluffing out his feathers, "Some of our animal forms are not suited for a forest environment, or land, for that matter, so they choose to remain in their humanoid forms." Roman sat there, looking confused, until Patton realized what was going on.

"Uhh, Logie, big words. What he means is some of us are fish, or squid, or something like that, so instead of staying like how me and Logan are, they look like humans the whole time. Got it, kiddo?"

"Yeah, I think so." Patton smiled, but Logan squinted at Roman.

"You said that you are a prince. How do you not know these things? It was my understanding that all the humans had at least base knowledge of how Shifters behave," he accused, his wings stretching threateningly. Patton's tail drooped between his legs and he stepped back.

"We're not allowed to talk about Shifters in the castle, and there's no books in the library about you guys. Whenever I ask my mother, she gets sad and goes to her room. I don't think i'm supposed to know about Shifters at all," Roman explained, shrinking into himself. Patton stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Roman.

"Oh, sweetie. What about your sire-- uhh, father?"

"He's dead. My uncle said he was in a bar fight, but my Mother said that that's a lie, and Grandmother had him killed. She didn't tell me that though," he quickly added, "She was telling Valarie and I was listening." Logan and Patton stiffened, then shared a look. Patton sank down beside Roman and pet his hair, turning toward Logan.

"Go get Remus, Virgil, and Devani, and if your Amma is back, get her, too. I think this is Romulus's kit." Logan nodded gravely and strode out the door. Patton hugged Roman close and shivered. "I think there's some things your mother didn't tell you."


	2. An Octopus, A Snake, A Crow, and a Very Angry Grandma Walk Into A Tent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the Dark Boys are here, Devani is Queer, and Bridgen was the Deer. Logan's Amma is angry at Roman until she hears him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: references to hunting, Racism(?)

Logan took off, out the tent. Roman saw him jump into the air and turn into a bird (a dangerous looking one, at that). Patton continued to pet Roman's hair, as the little prince sat, confused.

"What happened? Who's Romulus?"

"I'll tell you when Logie gets back."

They sat in silence for a while. Roman was nearly drifting back off to sleep when he heard a loud squawk, and two loud _thumps _outside. He heard Logan's voice from outside the tent, seemingly begging someone for something.

"Amma, please, I understand you are upset, but please listen--"

"I don't want to hear it, young man! You brought a _human_ into MY village, and I am GETTING IT OUT!"

"He's just a kit, he didn't do--"

"So it's a _he_ now!? As if humans didn't just kill Bridgen last night!?"

Roman froze. The buck-man must have been Bridgen, whoever that was. And he was part of the party that killed him. The blood was on his hands, the arrow might as well have been shot from his own bow. Roman's eyes welled with tears, and he clung to Patton even harder.

"When we found him he was weeping. He might have been traumatized!"

"Or maybe it was sad that it didn't get to kill Bridgen itself!"

The flap of the tent was ripped open to reveal an old woman with brown-and-black wings, the same chestnut skin tone as Logan, and a beak-like nose. When she stepped in, Roman saw that her entire bottom half was that of a bird's. _Buzzard_, his mind supplied, although it didn't really matter. He sobbed and brought up his knees to hug them. The buzzard-woman stepped forward threateningly.

"Patton, get away from the filthy thing." Patton complied immediately, leaving Roman without anything to ground himself. "You, human. Look at me." Roman looked up, scrubbing at his face. The woman's hand shot out and she grabbed his chin, her nails (talons?) digging into his face. "State your name."

"P-Prince Roman of Arminia, s-s-son of Queen Anathema," he stammered, "I want t-to go h-h-home, please--"

"Quiet, human." The woman's talons dug into Roman's face, making him cry harder. It didn't even seem that she had listened to what he said.

"Amma, please, we are fairly sure that he's--"

"You too, Logan."

"B-but Amma, he's Romulus's kit!" Patton cried, making the woman stop cold. She turned to Roman, her eyes glinting.

"Is that true, human?"

"I don't know!" Roman rocked back and forth where he sat, pulling the old woman's hand with him. She let go and studied him carefully, her eyes widening.

"He is. Get Remus."

"That's actually what we were going to do, before--"

"GO!"

Logan ran out of the tent (again) to go get... whoever Remus was. Patton moved back to comfort him. The old woman, or, Amma, probably, stayed right where she was.

\---

Later, Logan pushed into the tent, followed by three children. One had a long yellow snake-tail instead of legs, one had shiny black wings and a feathered tail to match, and the third...

The third looked exactly like Roman.

Logan cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Devani and Virgil refused to leave Remus, I hope that is alright."

The snake-boy slid forward, poking Roman's cheek. "Ith he human?" he had a lisp, caused by his snake-tongue, which most definitely did not belong in a human mouth. Patton batted his hand away.

"Yes, Devani. We think he's Remus's brother."

"WAIT WHAT!? YOU'RE MY LONG LOST BROTHER!? THAT IS SOOOO COOL!" The boy who looked like Roman yelled, making Roman flinch. "Do you know who our Sire is!? What's our mother like!? What's your name, mine is Remus!"

"I-I'm Roman, are... are you a Shifter?"

"YUP!" Remus turned into a bright-green octopus, then back into a child, although the strange hourglass-pupils of his eyes stayed. "Thought that was obvious! Are you!?"

"Uh... no. My-- Our mother is human, so I am, too? I think?"

"OH MY GOSH THAT'S SO COOL!"

The boy with the shiny black feathers jumped. Patton instantly moved away from Roman to comfort the boy with the wings.

"Virgil, honey, are you okay!?"

"Y-yeah," Virgil whispered, barely audible, "Jus' the loud noise."

"Okay. Why don't you come over here?" Patton carefully led Virgil beside Roman, sitting him down gently. He tugged his wings around himself, his feathers puffing out. His eyes were blue in the middle, but golden-brown at the outside edges. They were pretty. However, Roman had more pressing matters at hand.

"Um, I have a question. Who's Romulus, and what's a sire?"

For a moment, all eyes in the room turned on Roman - it was quite unnerving, as most of them didn't look remotely human - before the old woman who everyone kept calling Amma settled onto the ground. Everyone in the room immediately complied, even Virgil seemed to relax a bit.

"Shifters use different words than you humans do. What we call 'sires' are what your kind call 'fathers.' Your sire's name was Romulus, he was a wonderful man, and a better mate. Your mother and him fell in love, even though our kinds ain't supposed to mix. A right tragedy, that's what it was." Her voice slipped into a faraway tone, like she was telling a fairy tale. She shook her head, smiling. "Rom was chaos as he lived and breathed, but he was the smartest of his bunch, the Cephalopods. Copied the Apes that live way down the mountains' tents, made em' better, got all us out of the caves. He was only fourteen winters, too, and I wasn't even a Beta yet! He could think up a fix for any problem, got us all writing with human-letters, and he made the _loveliest_ art. Then he fell in love with the princess."

Amma's voice dropped off suddenly. Logan wrapped one of his wings around her shoulders. "They tried to keep it a secret, they sure did, even pretended Romulus was one of your kind, but Ana's mother got wind when Remus here popped out with eight legs." Remus's head drooped. Roman could barely believe what he was hearing, but it must have been true. The boy sitting on the floor below him was his brother, his kin, his blood and bones and breath. "The queen sent Rom off with little Remus, but that boy could not stay away, no sir. The queen caught them, dragged Romulus off somewhere. We never saw him again."

Tears pricked _at_ Roman's eyes, but they were spilling down Remus's face. Roman, in a split-second decision, pulled his twin (he had a _twin!_) up beside him, wrapping his arms around the Shifter. Remus hugged back.

"I... didn't know. We weren't allowed to talk about him in the castle. They never even said his name. I... Oh, Mother must be worried_ sick!"_ Amma frowned.

"We best be gettin' you back, then. I'll take you out to the edge of the forest, you tell whoever finds you that you got lost, but found a path. Alright?"

"Okay... Will I get to see all of you again?"

"I don't know. Best to say goodbyes now."

"Oh." Roman stood up, looking around at all the Shifters, who, after only maybe an hour, already felt like a family. He put on what he hoped was a brave face and tried to recall the most poetic and regal words he could. "Farewell, all of you. Patton and Logan, thank you for finding me and saving me. Devani and Virgil, I would have liked to get to know both of you more. And Remus," he said, turning to his brother, "We shouldn't have been split, and now that I know you're here, I don't..." Roman burst into fresh tears, running and throwing himself at his brother. "I don't wanna leave! You're all so _cool_ and I didn't even know you were here!" Remus wrapped his arms around Roman, also sobbing.

"I knew you were there and I always wanted to meet you and now I did and I want you to stay--!" The two boys clung to each other and cried, babbling to each other. Virgil, Devani, and Logan looked understandably bewildered, but Patton and Amma shared a look of mutual sympathy. This was the first time the two brothers had been together since birth, and they were already being forced apart. When their crying died down enough, Amma picked them up, rumpling their hair.

"Alright, you two. Roman needs to go, or they'll send in the Hunt to find him. I'll take Roman now, alright?"

"WAIT!" Roman jumped up, grabbing his bag, and fishing out the golden leaf. "I know you get a lot of these here, but me and Mother like pressing leaves and flowers in books, and I was going to give this to her, but if you have any books you can press this in I'd like you to have it--!" Roman gave the leaf to Remus, who looked at it like it was the mist wonderful thing in the world.

"I will! Thank you!"

"Alright, _now_ we need to go," Amma deadpanned. Remus and Roman hugged one more time, before Roman left with Amma, waling to the edge of the woods. She walked him to a path littered in leaves, squeezing his shoulder. "When you get home, get your mother by herself and tell her that you met Greta, alright?"

"Is that your name?"

"Yup."

"I like Amma better. Can I call you Amma?" The old woman laughed, her feathers fluffing up.

"Sure, baby, but your mother don't know me by that. You go down this path, alright? Tell the town that you got lost."

"I remember, Amma, I will," Roman blustered, although he didn't sound as confident as he would have liked to. In a quieter voice, he added, "I'm... I'm sorry about Bridgen. My cousin... I'm_ sorry._"

"Roman, it wasn't your fault. You go on home now."

Roman hugged Amma, then dashed down the path, back towards his kind.

He really, really didn't want to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This didn't go how i planned it to. I still like it


	3. Not a Chapter: Update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Read plonk

Hey dudebros

Sam here

I uh

don't feel like writing any of my Sanders Sides stuff rn. I just cant find any inspiration to

(also i dont have the plots for many of them planned out as much as id like. If you want to go read them and suggest things that I should do that would be awesome)

If you want more of my content, you can just like

go to my stuff. read it

its always welcome

If you're mad at me, go read:

[Sanders Behavioral Health (by AstroZone)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21140099/chapters/50310749)

[Waste Away (by NicoAndTheNineGalaxies)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19759093/chapters/46771336)

[Stray Hearts Are Subject To Change (by Queen_Whovian_and_Everything_Else555)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21366088/chapters/50893813)

because they're awesome and i love them

While yall may be disappointed on my lack of Sanders Sides stuff, if you're into Beetlejuice, you'll be happy to know that I WILL be updating by two Beetlejuice fics,[_ Inside Out And Upside Down_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21422743/chapters/51041941) and [_Pretty Things Don't Play In The Dark_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21332851/chapters/50806951)

<strike>Also i MIGHT update April Fool's but that's only because it's my main SS project</strike>

Thanks for understanding!!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> ooh Hoo HOO  
we meet the Kids next chapter if I ever get to it


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